Anglia Ruskin University
UCAS Code: Q313 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above.
UCAS Tariff
from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).
About this course
Whether you want to use your communication skills in the media or in the boardroom, our degree course will give you a thorough understanding of how the English language works and how it reflects the most important issues of our times.
Join a course ranked 11th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2024, and 7th in the UK for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide 2023.
Explore the power of the English language in communication, and how it expresses and reflects crucial global issues such as ideologies, culture wars, conflict, social justice, equality, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability.
Our core modules will give you a broad, interdisciplinary introduction to language and communication, including its psychology and social and cultural impact, and giving you the skills to deconstruct, critically analyse and research texts from many different fields, including media, politics, advertising, and even laboratory experiments.
You can then use and further develop these skills while exploring your own areas of interest on our optional modules, including digital media, online journalism, youth culture and podcasting, preparing you for many possible careers in the modern digital world.
The modern world is ever-changing, thanks to continual technological and cultural developments, and the English language is changing with it, becoming even more globally-used and more relevant to many new areas of work. Our course recognises this, giving you the skills and understanding that you’ll need in the English language and its use in communication across many emerging areas of work as well as more traditional ones.
By learning to systematically identify, describe and analyse spoken and written language phenomena, and critically evaluate the role it plays in shaping sociocultural norms, identities and realities in a range of public and private domains, as well as in relation to globalisation, mobility, sustainability and social justice, you’ll be ready to take on work in the world of politics, business and the media - or even as a social media influencer.
You’ll also pick up the all-important transferable skills that will further your opportunities in whichever field you choose to work, including problem solving, researching, creative thinking, persuasive writing techniques, rigorous examination of evidence, computer and digital skills, teamwork, and communication (including discussion and delivery of presentations to a range of academic, public and professional audiences).
Cambridge has a range of vibrant business and industry sectors, ranging from major publishing houses to technology companies, all of which require graduates with strong communication and analytic skills. With over 30 English language schools, Cambridge is the perfect place to study English. Our business and industry partners provide opportunities for live briefs, placements and volunteering positions, they also give you a vital network for your future employment and projects. If you’re interested in teaching English, you might also be able to take up part-time work with them, and further develop your skills at the same time.
Our team of expert lecturers will support you throughout your time at ARU, including Dr Vahid Parvaresh (co-author, Elastic Language in Persuasion and Comforting: A Cross-Cultural Perspective), Dr Bettina Beinhoff (Perceiving Identity through Accent – Attitudes towards Non-Native Speakers and their Accents in English), and Dr Sebastian Rasinger (co-author, The Cambridge Introduction to Intercultural Communication).
Modules
Year 1 Core modules: Psychology of Communication; Deconstructing Communication; How Texts Work; Language, Communication and Society; Psychology of Language; Into ARU. Year 2 Core modules: Bridging Cultures; Digital Stylistics; The Research Toolkit: Design and Delivery; Ruskin Module. Year 2 Optional modules: English Phonetics and Phonology; Key Paradigms 2: Sociology and Politics; Woke Wars; Digital Media Theory: Social Media, AI, and the Cultures of the Internet; Online Journalism; Teenage Kicks: Youth Culture and Media; Professional Placement; Anglia Language Programme. Year 3 Core modules: Undergraduate Major Project in English Language, Linguistics; New Media Discourse; Research Communication. Year 3 Optional modules: Communication Disorders; Prejudice and Ideologies; Cultural Politics of Celebrity; Hitler to the Hashtag: Political Communication in Peace and War; Race, Racism and Ethnic Identity; Digital Publishing; Key Paradigms 3: International and Global Perspectives in Education; Language and the Law; Communication, Flesh, Philosophy; The Making of Modern Media; 'Fake News', Conflict and Law; Anglia Language Programme. Modules are subject to change and availability.
Assessment methods
We’ll assess you using a range of methods, including essays, exams, oral presentations, portfolios, practical work, and your third-year Major Project.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Cambridge Campus
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
What students say
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How do students rate their degree experience?
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English language
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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English language
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
English language
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£22k
£24k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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